It's the time of year when diverse cultures from around the world meet in Beijing.

From East to West, pop to traditional, opera to dance, drama to exhibitions, and music to gourmet, the 2019 Meet in Beijing Arts Festival will have more than 50 cultural activities on offer.

This year's festival will gather nearly 600 artists from 25 counties and regions, from April 25 to May 25. They will grace major theaters and art centers in the capital, such as the National Center for the Performing Arts, the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center and the Beijing Concert Hall.

Asian arts take center stage

The 2019 festival will focus on Asian arts. On April 25 the China National Traditional Orchestra will team up with musicians from Thailand, Pakistan and Japan to stage an Asian-themed concert, which will form the opening of the month-long festival.

"China will host a conference on Dialogue among Asian Civilizations in May. To echo with that, we hope this year's Meet in Beijing will fully display Asian cultures and promote communication among Asian countries," said Wang Xiuqin, general manager of the China Arts and Entertainment Group, one of the event organizers, during a press conference Tuesday.

Highlights from Asia will include a Ballet Gala of Asia on May 14, which will convene the best Asian troupes, from countries including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, to perform excerpts from classics such as Spartacus, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Le Corsaire.

Also under the spotlight will be Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer Lisa Ono's jazz concert on May 18, French clarinet ensemble Les Bons Becs's Big Bang on May 26, and Spain's multi-award-winning sax quartet Kebyart Ensemble's chamber music from May 25-26.

China will be highlighted with a remake of the Peking opera classic Farewell, My Concubine by Zhang Huoding, one of the country's best known Peking opera stars, along with Princess Zhaojun, an epic song and dance show by famous opera singer Li Yugang, and musical A Homesick Warrior.

In addition to shows and performances, the festival will also feature events like a Swedish food festival at TRB Forbidden City from April 25-28 and a Latin American and Caribbean Carnival from May 23-26.

Bringing arts to a wider audience

Festival organizers said they're trying to make arts in the capital more accessible, with lower entry tickets and more cultural events held in school campuses, as well as occasionally free access to master classes and workshops.

"We offer tickets as low as 20 yuan ($3) for some performances. For students and children, some tickets are free," said Wang.

Meet in Beijing is an annual event sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration of Radio and Television, and the Beijing municipal government.

It's organized by the China Arts and Entertainment Group and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

Over the past 19 years, the festival has invited more than 30,000 artists from around the world, attracting more than 4.2 million attendees to the capital.